Activities & Organizations

Organizations

Student Clubs

WSU Tri-Cities offers a wide span of organizations created and run by our students. You can see the current status of our Registered Student Organizations and get more information about what they offer at CougSync.

The Associated Students of Washington State University Tri-Cities (ASWSUTC) is the official student association for all registered students attending WSU Tri-Cities. The elected student leaders represent student interests, needs, and welfare on behalf of the WSU Tri-Cities students.

Entertainment

The SEB, a student-run organization, provides programming which aims to encompass awareness, art, culture, diversity, and entertainment. They organize events like Mardi Gras, the winter formal and the spring carnival.

Our on-campus art gallery hosts three to four exhibitions each fall and spring semester, often featuring local artists. The gallery brings in something new and dynamic each time, and every show is worth checking out.

Local Art

There are several art galleries in the Tri-Cities, most of them located right around the WSU Tri-Cities campus. The Allied Arts Association aims for awareness and education in art of Tri-Cities’ citizens. The Gallery on Gage carries local artists, while the Rising Moon Gallery specializes in Native American art.

Movies

Between the Carmike 12 and Regal Columbia Center 8 cinemas in Kennewick and Fairchild Cinemas in Pasco, there are plenty of screens on which to watch all the newly released flicks. If your taste in movies is different than that of Hollywood’s, check out the Battelle Film Club’s offerings. For just $4, you can see documentaries and foreign films shown in the Battelle Auditorium in Richland.

Concerts

The Tri-Cities has a wide assortment of options for your listening pleasure. The Toyota Arena in Kennewick brings in big-name acts periodically throughout the year. If you’re into discovering new artists before they hit it big, Ray’s Golden Lion is the spot for you. Just down the road from WSU Tri-Cities, Ray’s hosts up-and-coming rock bands. For those with a more classical taste, the Mid-Columbia Symphony holds several concerts throughout the year at the Three Rivers Convention Center. Even jazz is not forgotten in the Tri-Cities. The Ivory Jazz Club opens every weekend for shows in historic downtown Kennewick. For smaller live shows of many types of music, wineries around the Tri-Cities also have a rapidly growing number of options.

Theater

From contemporary to classics, comedies to dramas, the Richland Players Theatre has offered live theatrical productions for more than 60 years. Minutes away from WSU Tri-Cities, the Richland Players Theatre puts on five plays per year. For those who want to see their peers in action, Columbia Basin College offers student productions. For a different kind of performance, catch the Ye Merrie Greenwood Players, a traveling company which produces the Ye Merrie Greenwood Renaissance Faire in June as well as an assortment of other performances.

Sports and Fitness

Professional Sports

State of the art facilities and the beautiful weather in the Tri-Cities have attracted several professional teams from a variety of sports leagues. A beloved, longstanding tradition, the Tri-City Americans have been providing competitive hockey for fans in the area since 1988. Playing in the Toyota Arena, the Americans display young and talented National Hockey League hopefuls. Sharing the Toyota Arena with the Americans is a new, but extremely successful team. The Tri-Cities Fever is a part of the AF2 arena football league, which is compiled of teams from all around the country. In the Fever’s first season in 2005, it won the Indoor Bowl championship. For those who prefer the taste of pure Americana that comes from sitting under the sun, watching those balls, strikes and home runs, the Tri-Cities has its own minor league baseball team. Stocked with some of the Colorado Rockies’ top prospects, the Tri-City Dust Devils take on teams from all around the Pacific Northwest.

Fitness

Staying fit is an important part of your college experience. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is essential while dealing with the stress of college. Whether your liking be pilates or free weights, you have many options for fitness centers in the Tri-Cities. To stress the importance of exercise by its students, ASWSUTC sponsors a subsidized partial reimbursement for students who are enrolled in a minimum of six credits and are members of local fitness clubs. In addition to this 50% discount, several clubs in the Tri-Cities offer discounts on membership to WSU Tri-Cities students. There is also fitness equipment, a basketball court, a horseshoe pit, and a volleyball court available for use by students right on campus.

Eating and Drinking

Restaurants

Make sure to take a break from your studies to enjoy the offerings at the many great restaurants in the Tri-Cities. From Thai to Mexican to delicious local seafood, there are mouthwatering choices for even the pickiest of eaters. For a detailed list of restaurants available in the Tri-Cities, visit the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau’s website.

Wineries

The Columbia Valley is the heart of Washington’s wine industry. At the same latitude as the Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France, perfect soil conditions and temperatures in the area combine to make fantastic wines. There are 150 wineries within a 50 mile radius, where you can sample award winning wines and enjoy beautiful views. The Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau’s website has maps complete with area wineries for a several days worth of wine tasting.

Outdoors

Hiking

The Tri-Cities is a haven for lovers of the outdoors. The citizens of the area have worked hard to preserve the best parts of nature amid rapid development. The result of their efforts is the protection of hundreds of acres of land for the enjoyment of both hikers and wildlife. The beautiful, unique geology of the Tri-Cities area was shaped by Ice Age floods and continues to awe residents and visitors today. One of the area’s treeless mountains, Badger Mountain, has been set aside by The Friends of Badger Mountain for the pleasure of walk-in visitors. For the enthusiastic explorer, the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau has a map of Ice Age flood features that can be found in the Tri-Cities area.

On the Water

The Tri-Cities could just as well be named the Tri-Rivers. The unique confluence of the Snake, Columbia and Yakima Rivers provide premier opportunities for water recreation. With so much water space, the Tri-Cities attracts visitors from miles away interested in only the best area for sailing, windsurfing, power and pleasure boating, wakeboarding, kayaking, fishing, and swimming.